Martin Brundle urges McLaren to let Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri "duke it out, gloves off"

Martin Brundle has suggested that it might be time for McLaren to let Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri "duke it out".

The Singapore Grand Prix saw friction rise between the team-mates after Norris went for a punchy move at the start to take third place from Piastri. As he lunged down the inside, Norris nudged the back of Max Verstappen's Red Bull, and, as a result, hit the left front wheel of Piastri's car.

While he made the overtake stick, the Australian complained over the team radio, questioning the team's decision not to interfere. The Woking outfit confirmed that it would be discussed following the race, but as the stewards deemed the incident to require no further action, they would not step in to enforce team orders. 

Norris went on to secure third place with Piastri in fourth, closing the gap between them in the championship fight to just 22 points going into the final six race weekends.

Brundle reflected on the race in his Sky Sports F1 column, arguing that it could be time to allow the drivers to fight it out "gloves off".

"Piastri appealed to the team to sort that out given the 'no contact' rules between them, which they declined," the former Formula 1 driver wrote.

"It would have been a feisty post-race team debrief, and I have no doubt whatsoever that the dynamics between the two McLaren drivers will irrevocably change going forward. It was just a matter of time.

Lando Norris, McLaren, Oscar Piastri, McLaren

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / LAT Images via Getty Images

“Perhaps McLaren should now just let their two drivers duke it out, gloves off, between themselves with zero interference. Any nuclear fallout will be tempered by the need to finish races, score points, avoid FIA in-race penalties, avoid Verstappen catching the pair of them, and running out of the latest specification of parts as the team focuses on 2026.”

The Singapore Grand Prix saw McLaren clinch the constructors' championship title. 

“For the second year in a row, McLaren are the constructors’ champions, an incredible feeling to end a very competitive weekend in Singapore! Last year, it went all the way to the final lap of the final race, so to be able to secure the title with six races to go in the 2025 season is an unbelievable effort from the entire team," McLaren team principal Andrea Stella explained after the race.

“Our race pace was strong today against our closest competitors, although it was hard to take advantage in the dirty air. Both Lando and Oscar demonstrated their exceptional talent to secure an important result for the team, as we’ve seen on many occasions this season."